Eunice – ages 12, 14, 16, and 17:
Eunice’s first recital, Saint Luke C.M.E. Church, age 10.
Tryon Daily Bulletin – April 24, 1943:
Recital at Saint Luke C.M.E. Church’s Autumn Bazar, age 13.
Tryon Daily Bulletin – November 8, 1946:
Recital at Saint Luke C.M.E. Church, age 14.
Tryon Daily Bulletin – August 19, 1947:
Fundraising recital in the Mazzanovich Studio, age 16.
Glee Club of Allen High School Wins Honors
Asheville Citizen-Times – April 3, 1949:
Recital at Lanier Library in Tryon, age 16.
Tryon Daily Bulletin – July 31, 1949:
Recital at Allen High School in Asheville, NC
Asheville Citizen-Times – May 14, 1950:
Recital at New Century Auditorium in Philadelphia, age 20.
Atlantic City Press – June 3, 1955:
Midtown Bar and Grill in Atlantic City was the venue of Eunice’s first public appearance and performance under the name “Nina Simone.”
She created her moniker by combining the nickname ‘Nina’ from a childhood boyfriend and ‘Simone’ from French actress Simone Signoret. Her initial reason for performing under this name was that she didn’t want her strict parents to discover the types of music she was playing and the venues in which she was performing, fearing that they’d disapprove of both.
Despite training for years to become a classical pianist, she began playing in clubs to support herself and was told that she’d also be expected to sing when she performed.
Cash Box – September 5th:
Daily News – September 6th:
New York Times – September 14th:
Nina photographed on stage and backstage by Herb Snitzer:
Nina and Redd Foxx photographed backstage by G. Marshall Wilson:
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Some or all of these scheduled performances may have been canceled due to illness Nina suffered from around this time.
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Jet Magazine 4/6/61:
Jet Magazine – 6/29/61:
George Shearing, Nina Simone, Duke Ellington, and Buddy Rich at Madison Square Garden (by Michael Ochs):
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November 15th – Baltimore Polytechnic Institute:
November 16th – Lehigh University (Pennsylvania):
November 17th – Fairleigh Dickinson University (New Jersey):
The final three concerts of this tour were canceled due to the assassination of JFK.
Jet Magazine – 12/12/63:
November 22nd – Dartmouth College (New Hampshire):
November 23rd – University of Vermont:
November 24th – Syracuse University (New York):
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February 14th – Northeastern University (Boston):
February 17th – University of Pennsylvania:
February 18th – Indiana State College:
February 21st – Morningside College (Iowa):
February 22nd – Stepan Center (University of Notre Dame, Indiana):
February 24th – South Macomb Community College (Michigan):
February 25th – Michigan State University:
March 1st – Northern Illinois University:
March 2nd – Hamline University (Minnesota):
March 4th – Emporia State University (Kansas):
March 6th – Nebraska Wesleyan University:
March 13th – University of Dayton (Ohio):
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September 18th – Bushnell Memorial:
September 19th – Boston Symphony:
September 20th – Carnegie Hall:
September 24th – Wagon Wheels Club:
September 25th – Three Rivers Inn:
October 2nd – St. Joseph’s College:
October 3rd – Endicott IBM Club:
October 5th – Place des Arts:
October 8th – Davenport Masonic Temple:
October 9th – KRNT Theater:
October 10th – Kansas State University:
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Lorraine Hansberry, friend and mentor of Nina Simone, died on January 12, 1965. Ms. Hansberry was a playwright and writer. She was the first African-American female author to have a play performed on Broadway. Her best known work, the play A Raisin in the Sun, highlights the lives of Black Americans living under racial segregation in Chicago. Following her death, Nina took one of Ms. Hansberry’s unfinished works and turned it into her song To Be Young, Gifted, and Black
Nina performs at Lorraine Hansberry’s funeral:
Nina and Lorraine:
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Billboard:
Jet Magazine – 6/24/65:
Pittsburgh Courier:
June 26th – Nina and Lisa at JFK:
Nina, Lisa, and Andy in Trafalgar Square:
“London Hospitality”:
London photoshoot:
Billboard:
More from Philips party in Stanhope/Hyde Park:
June 28th through July 10th – Annie’s Room performances:
July 2nd & July 16th – Ready, Steady, Go:
July 24th – Antibes (France):
July 31st – Comblain-la-Tour (Belgium):
August 1st – Koblenz (Germany):
Jet Magazine – 7/22/65:
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February 13th – Kiel Convention Hall:
February 14th – Pittsburgh Civic Arena:
February 16th – University of Dayton:
February 17th – Rochester War Memorial:
February 18th – Philharmonic Hall:
February 20th – Baltimore Civic Center:
February 23rd – Cobo Arena:
February 24th – Boston Winterfest:
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Jet Magazine – 4/20/67:
April 14th – The Guildhall (Portsmouth):
April 16th – Colston Hall (Bristol):
April 18th – Free Trade Hall (Manchester):
April 19th – Royal Albert Hall (London):
April 20th – Town Hall (Birmingham):
April 22nd – The Upper Cut (London):
April 23rd – RamJam Club (London):
April 26th – ORTF Tilt Magazine (Paris):
London photoshoots with photographer Tony Gale:
Holland:
Photos from tour:
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August 3rd – Kiel Auditorium (St. Louis):
August 4th – Memphis Jazz Festival:
August 5th – Ohio Valley Jazz Festival (Cincinnati):
August 6th – Cleveland Jazz Festival:
August 11th – Civic Opera House (Chicago):
August 12th – Buffalo Jazz Festival:
August 13th – Cobo Arena (Detroit):
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Nina performed at the Westbury Music Fair on April 7th, three days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Nina’s performance included a song she penned in MLK’s honor, “Why? (The King of Love Is Dead)”. What became known as the ‘MLK Suite’ was included on her album ‘Nuff Said.